Since
the tragic motorcycle accident that appears to have paralyzed Paul “The
Punisher” Williams, one of this generation’s most exciting fighters, the
handlers of rising superstar Saul “Canelo” Alvarez have been searching for the
ideal September 15th replacement in order to produce a mega fight
that not only brings in the dollars but also establishes Alvarez as a true
154lb champion.

While
it seems as though Golden Boy Promotions has already chosen to go with one of
their worthy fighters in James Kirkland (31-1, 27KOs), who may or may not be
suffering from a serious shoulder injury come fight time, the three fighters
below represent matchups that are also worthy of consideration and might
produce more money and more excitement if marketed correctly.

In
evaluating fighters for Alvarez for the September 15th card, one
must weigh his lack of experience against top-level 154lb fighters against the
potential financial and legacy-building rewards of a win or loss against the
fighters on this list. That is why, for example, Miguel Cotto (37-3, 30 KOs) is
number one while Carlos Molina (19-5-2, 6KOs) and Erislandy Lara (16-1-1,
11KOs) do not even appear on this list. Simply put, Cotto will bring the most
to the table in all respects while Lara and Molina present huge risks that do
not offer any of the financial or career-building rewards.

And, finally, the list: Three
Fighters for Alvarez other than Kirkland

1. Miguel Cotto (37-3,
30KOs)

On
the weekend that celebrates Mexico’s Independence, I can think of no greater
matchup than that of Mexico’s biggest star against Puerto Rico’s living legend.
While Cotto’s skillset and experience are far beyond that of the young Alvarez
and Cotto would definitely be favored, if Alvarez is the prospect that many of
us, including myself, think he is, he should put up a good showing and might
even sneak by with a close and controversial decision. While Cotto looked
impressive in his loss to Floyd “Money” Mayweather (43-0, 26KOs), Alvarez
deserves serious consideration for pulling off a close fight or a decision
victory for the simple fact that Cotto is not really a true 154lb fighter.
Despite the marketing that was done in the lead-up to his mega fight with
Mayweather, Cotto has beaten only one true 154lb fighter in the grossly
light-handed Yuri Foreman (28-2, 8KOS). Considering the money and the stardom
that could be gained from a win, loss, or draw and considering that everyone
agrees that Alvarez is a beatable fighter, I think it would be wise to cash-in
go for Cotto if he’ll take it. In fact, I think you could make it an all
Mexican vs. Puerto Rican card by pitting Alfredo Angulo (20-2, 17KOs) against
Carlos Quintana (29-3, 23KOs) and Chris Arreola (35-2, 30KOs), who is a Dan
Goosen fighter like Paul Williams so there shouldn’t be any conflicts, against
Fres Oquendo (34-7, 22KOs) in what would certainly rival the Pay-Per-View buys
of any Mayweather or Pacquiao card.

2. Carlos Quintana (29-3,
23KOs)

While
a matchup with the slick southpaw from Puerto Rico could be risky and doesn’t
present all of the rewards of a Cotto fight, a victory over Quintana, which
seems likely considering Quintana’s difficulties in taking clean shots and
handling good pressure fighters, should establish Alvarez as a legitimate
champion at 154lb while earning him another title and invaluable experience
against a crafty southpaw. In addition, the Mexican vs. Puerto Rican theme
could also help sell this matchup.

3. Vanes Martirosyan (32-0,
20KOs)

Of
the fights available to Alvarez, I think the Martirosyan matchup is the least
appealing because he lacks the big name and hasn’t really defeated anyone of
quality nor has he shown a willingness to take on anyone of quality with the exception
of Alvarez to show that he deserves this opportunity on what could be one of
boxing’s biggest nights of 2012. Having said that, he has been calling out
Alvarez and he has “earned” his ranking with the WBC as their number one
contender. If rankings meant anything to the WBC, Martirosyan would be the one
to get this shot.

*If the winner of Cornelius
Bundradge (31-4, 18KOs) vs. Cory Spinks (39-6, 11KOs) on June 30th were
able and willing to fight, I would love to see him instead of Martirosyan at
number three.

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